3 generic steps to test any idea
Without ideas there is no innovation.
That doesn't mean that every idea is a good one, or worth pursuing.
That's why it's important to test them early, and test them often.
Here are three generic steps that you can follow to test any idea:
- Identify weaknesses and risky assumptions in your idea. Be gentle with people, but go hard on the idea itself.
- Turn previously identified assumptions in testable hypotheses and run experiments to generate trustworthy insight.
- Use that insight to refine and improve your idea. Pivot if needed.
Keep cycling though the above steps until you retire.
P.S. I also wrote a detailed guide on how to design, conduct, and learn from lean experiments. You can access it here.